A study that examines the history of transit transparency -- the release of transit schedules, routes and real-time feeds for third-party use -- has been added to the Resource Center best practices database.

URBAN ISSUESDo Not Get Rid of Boston Redevelopment Authority
Boston Globe
The Boston Redevelopment Authority is a bogeyman to many, a seemingly all-powerful agency that, depending on its position on any particular issue, can be the bane of everyone from neighborhood activists to developers to good-government types.

URBAN ISSUESA Housing Solution Gone Awry
New York Times
In the early 1970s, the architect and city planner Oscar Newman came forth with a book and theory called "Defensible Space," which relied in part on data from New York City public housing to propose a set of design solutions to the mounting problems of urban living.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) has been embraced around the country as a means to achieve sustainability goals, including reduced auto dependency and traffic congestion, as well as improved economic competitiveness. However, the process of actually implementing TOD varies based on a variety of physical, economic, and market conditions.

Introduction
Transit-oriented development (TOD) – typically defined as compact, mixed-use development within walking distance of a transit station – has emerged in recent years as a key strategy for fostering quality neighborhoods and reducing auto dependence. Despite the emphasis on TOD in many policy discussions, however, only limited information is available to help communities understand the likely development impacts of new transit investments. This report builds on a 2010 study by the Center for Transit-Oriented Development (CTOD), Rails to Real Estate: Development Patterns along Three Recently Constructed Rail Lines, to examine the opportunities and challenges involved in promoting TOD in different types of neighborhoods, and the strategies that may be appropriate to catalyze TOD depending on the neighborhood context. By examining development patterns and public investment strategies through the lens of “development context” or “neighborhood type,” this report…